Support for a materials handling dump box



Oct, 9, 195% 1.. w. SHEA ETAL SUPPORT FOR A MATERIALS. HANDLING DUMP BOX Filed March 23, 1953 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTORS Lindsey Wes? Sheaiy BY gap]: CiSireb W6? ATTORNEY-5' Oct. 9, 1956 L. w. SHEA ETAL 2,765,961

SUPPORT FOR A MATERIALS HANDLING DUMP BOX Filed March 25, 1953 2 SheeLs-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Lindsey WesZ'S/zea v BY Joseph CiSi'rqb A TTOR NEYS SUPPORT FOR A MATERIALS HANDLING DUNIP BOX Lindsey West Shea and Joseph C.

assignors to The Union pany, (Ianton, Ohio,

Streb, Canton, Ohio, Metal Manufacturing Com a corporation of Ohio Our invention or discovery relates to a new and improved positioning stand adapted to receive materials or Work pieces being handled and to position them in readily accessible condition adjacent a production work station; and more particularly and specifically to a materials receiving and retaining tray or pan construction for the stand. Even more specifically our invention or discov' ery relates to a new and improved removable front construction for a positioning stand tray or pan.

The invention hereinafter disclosed and described constitutes a modification of and an improvement on the positioning stand and associated tray shown and described in our co-pending application, Serial No. 254,952, now Patent No. 2,690,277, dated Sept. 28, 1954.

In said application Serial No. 254,952, a positioning stand and tray is generally shown and described in cooperative and co-functional relationship with a materials handling work box. Such work boxes generally comprise bottom dumping boxes including a bottom member hinged at one end which drops to an inclined position below the box to discharge the box contents.

When used in conjunction with a positioning stand, such bottom dump work boxes are usually horizontally supported in an elevated position on the stand, and the stand is provided with a pan or tray at a position thereon below and outwardly from one end of the box. Thus, when the box bottom is dropped to an inclined position about its hinge, the box contents flows downwardly and outwardly onto the tray or pan where such contents remain readily accessible, at an eflicient and convenient Working level, to a workman or operator at a work station adjacent to which the stand is located.

Prior tray constructions of the general type herein described have generally included a bottom plate onto which the box contents flows, and upstanding side and end walls to retain the discharged material on the bottom plate.

Certain of these prior constructions have included an inclined end wall opposite that region at which the box contents flows onto the tray. These inclined end walls facilitate the operators access to the material in the tray and also facilitate removal of material over such end walls.

However, in these prior tray constructions a number of difficulties have been encountered in providing a pan or tray structure of somewhat universal application, that is one which is constructed for most etficient use as a component of a bottom dumping box supporting and positioning stand, regardless of the nature, size or configuration of the material being handled. A tray which alfords the most efficient and advantageous production characteristics with one particular part or material is seldom, if ever, the best suited tray construction for production use when another and different part or material is involved.

For example, a tray which lends itself most efficiently to receiving and retaining pipe fittings such as elbows or nipples would not afford the most efiicient operation characteristics for handling thin flat blanks or strip parts.

vOther difliculties have been encountered with prior tray States aterit constructions when it is necessary to quickly empty the tray contents into a container or the like, to prepare the stand and tray for receiving and handling a different type of material or part.

For example, a stand and associated tray may be in use supplying a work station operator With a particular part for a specific production operation. If the specific production operation at the given work station is changed, as is frequently the case, to a new operation requiring a different part, a rapid production change over may require quick emptying of the tray contents to prepare the stand and tray for receiving the new parts to be supplied for the new production operation.

In prior constructions which include rigid tray side or retaining walls, it has not been possible or practical to quickly and efficiently remove the material or parts from the tray en masse, and a slow piece by piece manual transfer of parts or material has been necessary to prepare the tray for a new operation.

A further difliculty has occurred with prior positioning stand and tray constructions in which the hinged bottom of a dump box supported on the stand, angled downwardly to a position to discharge material from the box onto the stand tray is supported by line contact only between the box bottom and a transverse member forming a component of the stand. Such line contact dump box bottom support means in certain instances: has not provided a sufficient or proper bearing contact for the box bottom.

Another difiiculty has occurred in the use of prior dump box positioning stand constructions. Sometimes a substantial supply of material is contained on the stand tray when a new dump box, full of additional material, is being mounted on the stand. When the new dump box bottom is lowered, the free end thereof, loaded with material contained within the box, drops downward onto the supply of material contained on the stand tray and damages the same; and it is desired to avoid such damage.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention or discovery to provide a tray construction for a work station dumping box supporting or positioning stand which overcomes and eliminates the many difficulties and problems encountered with the use of prior constructions.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a tray construction of the character set forth which may be quickly and easily modified to permit its use selectively for receiving a variety of parts and materials, without removal and replacement of the tray, and without a substantial substitution of the parts thereof. This object is attained by the provision of a quickly and easily removable front end wall construction for the tray which facilitates use thereof with varied parts or materials.

Another object of the present invention lies in the provision of a tray end wall construction which may be quickly and easily removed and inserted as a tray component, and which when removed may be easily and conveniently stored to permit the use of a different tray end wall element to convert the tray for satisfactory operation with another type of part or material.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a removable tray front construction which is of such structural design that removal of the tray front leaves little or no associated tray structure on the tray to obstruct the positioning and support of another form of tray front when it is desired to convert the tray for operation with a different type of part or material.

It is also an object of the instant invention to provide a tray front construction which may be quickly and easily removed from the tray when the tray is partially or completely filled with parts being handled, in order to facilitate the rapid, en masse removal of all such parts, when a particular work station operation is changed, to prepare a stand and tray for supplying a dilferent part for a subsequent new operation.

Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a positioning stand construction for a bottom dump box in which an upstanding wall is formed atthe rear of the stand tray provided with an angled flange having surface supporting contact with a portion or member of the box bottom when the box is supported on the stand with its bottom angled downwardly in material discharging position.

Also it is an object of the present invention to provide a positioning stand construction for a bottom dump box constructed and arranged so that when a box is positioned on the stand and the box bottom angled downwardly in material discharging position, the box bottom member is maintained elevated above a supply of material con tained on the stand tray to prevent damage to such material which could otherwise occur if the box bottom rests on the supply of material contained on the stand tray.

Finally, it is an object of the instant invention or discovery to provide a stand, tray and removable tray front construction which is extremely simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture and durable in use.

These and other objects are accomplished by the parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and subcombinations comprising the present invention, the nature of which is set forth in the following general statement, a preferred embodiment of whichillustrative of the best mode in which applicants have contemplated applying the principles-is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and which is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming a part hereof.

In general terms, the improved tray construction for a materials handling box positioning stand constituting the present invention or discovery may be stated as including in a stand, a bottom plate or wall supported in substantially horizontal position on the stand so disposed relative to a dump box positioned on the stand for supplying parts or materials as to receive such parts or materials outwardly on the said plate from the source of supply; spaced side walls on said bottom plate disposed on opposite sides thereof generally parallel with the direction of delivery of the parts or materials to the bottom plate; an upstanding flange formed at the rear end of the plate adjacent the supply source forming a rear end wall for said plate; said upstanding flange being formed at its upper edge with a downwardly angled flange; said downwardly angled flange providing an abutment surface support for an element of a dump box positioned on said stand; angularly inclined support members on the inner opposed faces of the side walls; and an end wall removably supported between the side walls on said support members above the front end of the bottom plate opposite its flanged end and enclosing the bottom plate with the side walls and the rear end flange to form tray means.

By way of example, an embodiment of the improved positioning stand and tray construction of the present invention or discovery is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals indicate similar parts throughout the several views, and in which: 1

Figure l is a side elevation of a positioning stand with a bottom dump materials handling box supported in delivery position on the stand, illustrating the improved stand and tray construction for receiving and retaining materials delivered thereto from said box;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the stand and tray construction shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the removable end wall member.

The improved materials handling equipment shown in Fig. 1 includes an improved positioning stand unit generally indicated at 10, a tray structure for said stand generally indicated at 11, and a bottom dump materials handling box unit generally indicated at 12.

The improved positioning stand unit 10 includes a generally rectangular three-dimensional frame of structural members, the frame having front and rear ends at the left and right, respectively, in Fig. 1.

The structural frame of the stand it) preferably includes laterally spaced rear corner struts 13, and laterally spaced front corner struts 14 and 15. The rear struts 13 preferably are formed of I-beam members while the front struts 14 and 15 may consist of angle members of substantially lesser height than rear struts 13. As shown, the rear struts 13 and front struts 14 and 15 are upright.

he struts 13 define the rear end of the stand and the front end is generally defined by the struts 14 and 15. Moreover, the spaced rear struts 13 define, each with one of the front struts 14 and 15, parallel stand sides, the sides being perpendicular to the front and rear ends of the stand 10. The rear end struts 13 are laterally interconnected by vertically spaced horizontal upper and lower angle stringers 16 and 17, while the front end struts 14 and 15 are laterally interconnected by a lower horizontal angled stringer 13.

The rear struts 13 are connected with adjacent front struts 14 and 15 by vertically spaced pairs of side stringers 19 and 20. Stringers 19 preferably extend for a spaced distance forwardly beyond the front struts. Intermediate their ends the lower side stringer members 26 are connected by a laterally extending angle stringer 21.

Intermediate their ends, and rearwardly from front struts 14 and 15, the upper and lower side stringers 19 and 20 on each side of the frame are connected by vertical struts 22 and 23 which extend upwardly from the lower side stringers 20 to a location substantially above the upper side stringers 19. The upper extremities of the struts 22 and 23 are laterally interconnected by a horizontal angle member 24 which forms a front end support seat for the materials handling dump box 12.

The upper ends (Fig. 1) of the rear struts 13, which are located at a spaced distance above the horizontal side stringers 19, each terminate in an angular extremity sloping from the rearward end of the frame downwardly and forwardly, and each strut 13 supports in such an angular position a plate 25 which, in turn, engages and supports a rear corner of the inclined bottom of the materials handling dump box 12.

Thus, the horizontal angle member 24 and the angular seat plates 25 cooperate to support the dump box 12 at an elevated position on the stand between the rear struts 13 and the intermediate uprights 22 and 23. The angular seat plates 25 on the rear struts support the rear end of the box and at the same time provide inclined stop means permitting limited downward opening of the bottom mem ber 30 of box 12, which bottom 34) is hanged as at 31 to that end of the box positioned immediately above the rear supports 13. Thus, when the box is positioned on the stand by a fork lift truck, as the fork is lowered, the bottom 30 is allowed to open downwardly as illustrated, and the contents of the box will flow downwardly along inclined bottom 30 and discharge outwardly from the forward lower end of the bottom 3%) in a direction forwardly of the stand.

The materials tray 11, which is adapted to receive and retain the discharged contents of the box 12 is carried by the stand 10 in the same horizontal plane with the stringers 19 and 20, forwardly of the discharge end of the inclined bottom of the box 12.

The tray 11 includes a bottom plate member 40 which extends forwardly and rearwardly of the stand and which is supported by the forwardly extending portions of the stringers 19 and 20. The front edge of the bottom plate 4-0 is turned downwardly and rearwardly in an L-shaped flange 41 which engages under the forward ends of the stringers 19 and 20 to retain the bottom rearward movement. The rear 40, which extends rearwardly of the stand for a spaced distance behind the uprights 22 and 23 and beneath a portion of the front end of the box 12, is turned upwardly in a vertical flange 42.

The upper extremity of flange 42 is turned over forwardly of the tray to a downwardly inclined position at an angle to the horizontal substantially equal to the angle formed by the upper rear box support plates 25. This flange construction provides an angularly inclined bearing surface 43 to engage and support with extended surface contact a portion of the front end of the inclined box bottom at a spaced distance above the tray bottom thereby preventing contact between the box bottom and the parts contained in the tray and, at the same time, providing a sturdy bearing seat for the box bottom which reduces stresses and strains which would otherwise be transmitted to the bottom hinge connection.

The forward portion of the bottom plate 40 is provided with upstanding side walls 44 and 45 which take the form of identical plates secured to the inner faces of the forward struts 14 and 15 above the stringers 19 and 20. These side wall plates extend from the forward end of the bottom plate 40 rearwardly to abut with the forward edges of the vertical struts 22 and 23 above the stringers 19 and 2% The lower edges of these side walls 44 and 45 are welded to the side faces of the stringers 19 and 20 while the upper edges incline from the tops of the front edges thereof upwardly and rearwardly as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 1.

That portion of the bottom plate 40 extending rearwardly of the struts 22 and 23 is provided with side wall plates 46 and 47 which extend from the rearmost edge of the struts 22 and 23 rearwardly to terminate at a point adjacent to the upstanding flange 42 of the bottom plate.

Like wall plates 44 and 45, the lower edges of plates 46 and 47 are welded to the side faces of stringers 19 and 20, and these plates extend upwardly to terminate at locations substantially above the normal horizontal plane of the bottom of the dump box 12 thus forming side enclosures for a substantial portion of the inclined box bottom during dumping, as seen in Fig. l, to insure that the discharged contents of the box is confined to discharge onto the tray.

Additionally, a vertically adjustable gate member 48 is mounted above the pan bottom plate 40 and between the upper portions of struts 22 and 23 to prevent spillage of the box contents over the front end of the tray during dumping of the box.

As is best shown in Fig. 3, the inner opposed faces of the side walls 44 and 45 are provided in direct lateral opposition with angle members 50 and 51 which are secured, as best shown in Fig. 3, to extend from a point adjacent the upper front edges of the side walls at inclinations downwardly and rearwardly to terminate at points adjacent the bottom plate 40. These angle members 50 and 51 are provided with flanges 52 and 53 which extend outwardly from the side walls over the bottom plate 40 in end to end alignment but spaced apart laterally of the tray.

In addition to the angle members 50 and 51, the inner faces of the side walls 44 and 45 may in certain instances be provided with a second pair of laterally opposed angle members 54 and 55 having flanges 56 and 57 extending outwardly over the bottom wall 40 in end to end, spaced alignment. The angle members 54 and 55 are secured to the inner faces of the side walls 44 and 45 at points above the lower rearward ends of the angle members and 51 so as to position the flanges 56 and 57 thereof parallel with and above the lowermost portions of the flanges 52 and 53 of angles 50 and 51 respectively. The spacing of the respective flanges of angles 50 and 54 and angles 51 and 55 is such as to permit insertion of the removable tray front member 49 therebetween.

plate against edge of the bottom plate As is illustrated in Fig. 4, the tray front member 49 consists of an elongated flat plate portion of a length equal to the distance between the side walls 44 and 45 which portion is slidably inserted downwardly on the upwardly and rearwardly disposed faces of the flanges 52 and 53 to be supported thereon and to engage under the flanges 56 and 57 of the angles 54 and- 55 thus preventing rearward displacement of the lower end of said front member 49. In some instances, the angles 54and 55 may be omitted, the material in the tray holding the removable front member 49 in position on flanges 52 and 53 of angle members 50 and 51.

The upper end of the plate portion 58 of the end wall 49 terminates in a perpendicular flange 59 (Fig. 4) which extends forwardly of the plate portion 58 at a point adjacent the upper front edges of the side walls 44 and 45 to provide a handle arrangement for removing or inserting the end wall in position on the tray.

Thus, a quickly and easily insertable and removable front member construction is provided in the general tray arrangement for the positioning stand, and means also are provided for supporting this removable front member at an inclined position above the bottom plate of the tray so as to facilitate removal of parts over the front end wall by an operator.

Moreover, the particular removable front end construction for the positioning stand tray above described provides for removal of the front end member and substitution of a different type of front end member without difficulty.

Additionally, the improved tray construction provides in the rear flanged arrangement of the bottom plate an extended bearing surface for supporting the inclined box bottom above the tray bottom and above the parts carried thereby.

Still further, the provision at the front end of the stand for the tray to overhang or extend forwardly of the front struts of the stand enables the tray to be located in a close and readily accessible point next to a work station without obstructing the operators foot and knee space in the immediate vicinity of the station.

In Fig. l, the surface bearing support 43 for the front end of the box bottom 30 engages the under surface of an l-beam 60 extending laterally of the box bottom adjacent its front end. It is contemplated that where longer boxes 12, from front to rear, are used with stands 14) similar-ly longer between struts 13 and 21 and 212, the I-b-eam member 60 may be spaced further than shown from the front end of bottom member 30, and that the front end portion, per se, of the box bottom member 30 will be supported by surface contact with the pan surface bearing support flange 43.

Accordingly, a new and improved positioning stand construction is provided which accomplishes all those objects and purposes above enumerated and which avoids and eliminates the difficulties and disadvantages inherent in prior construction.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown.

Having now described the invention, the construction, operation and use of preferred embodiments thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful constructions, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a materials positioning stand for use with a dump 7 bottom box, a tray for receiving and retaining the contents of the box including a horizontal bottom member supported on the stand intermediate the height thereof, upstanding side walls on two opposite sides of the bottom member, an end wall member having end portions, first flange means projecting toward each other adjacent one end of the side walls and angled upwardly outwardly with respect to the bottom member, second flange means projecting toward each other and spaced from said first flange means, said first and second flange means removably supporting said end portions of the end wall member therebetween and thereby angularly supporting the end wall member abutting said one end of the bottom member.

2. In a materials positioning stand for use With a dump bottom box, a tray for receiving and retaining the contents of the box including a horizontal bottom member supported on the stand intermediate the height thereof, upstanding side walls on two opposite sides of the bottom member, an upstanding flange terminating in a forwardly downwardly extending flange at the rear end of the bottom member, and a removable front tray end wall member supported in upwardly outwardly angled position at the front end of and abutting the bottom member.

3. In materials positioning stand construction, a stand, tray means for the stand including a horizontal bottom member supported on the stand intermediate the height thereof, the tray being provided with side walls and a removable angular upwardly forwardly extending front wall, the tray having an upstanding rear wall terminating in a downwardly forwardly inclined flange providing a bearing surface, means for supporting a hinged bottom dump box on the stand above the rear end of the tray, and said bearing surface being adapted to engage and support a forward portion of a bottom wall of a box when such box is supported on the stand.

4. In materials positioning stand construction, a stand, tray means for the stand including a horizontal bottom member supported on the stand intermediate the height thereof, the tray being provided with side walls and a removable angular upwardly forwardly extending front wall, the tray having an upstanding rear wall, means for supporting a hinged bottom dump box on the stand above the rear end of the tray, and said rear wall being adapted to engage and support a free forward portion of a hinged bottom wall of a box when such box is supported on the stand and the hinged bottom wall is in open position.

5 In materials positioning stand construction, a stand, tray means for the stand including a horizontal bottom member supported on the stand intermediate the height thereof, the tray being provided with upstanding side walls on two opposite sides of the bottom member and an end wall member having end portions, first flange means projecting toward each other adjacent one end of the tray side walls and angled upwardly outwardly with respect to the tray bottom member, second flange means projecting toward each other and mounted spaced from said first flange means, said first and second flange means removably supporting said end portions of the tray end wall member therebetween and thereby angularly supporting the end wall member abutting said one end of the tray bottom member, the tray having an upstanding rear wall, means for supporting a hinged bottom dump box on the stand above the rear end of the tray, and said tray rear wall being adapted to engage and support a forward portion of a bottom wall of a box when such box is supported on the stand.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,317,577 Hoops Sept. 30, 1919 1,755,490 Seymour Apr. 22, 1930 2,056,239 Walter Oct. 6, 1936 2,440,056 McIntyre et al. Apr. 20, 1948 2,596,908 McIntyre et al. May 13, 1952 2,662,671 Almas Dec. 15, 1953 

